


Aflame

by Cheeyathebard



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex Danvers has a Ducati, F/F, Not Whitney Houston but close
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:35:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26539702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheeyathebard/pseuds/Cheeyathebard
Summary: Based on the movie, The Bodyguard. Kara McKenzie, pop-country music star has a stalker so her manager hires her a bodyguard. Enter Alex Danvers, Personal Protection Consultant. Fun ensues.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kara Danvers
Comments: 60
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I did another thing. This one is also finished and I'll be posting it in 6 parts. Enjoy!

Alex Danvers leaned on top of the grand piano sitting center stage as she watched her client speaking animatedly with her lead guitarist. Mac had stopped everything mid-rehearsal to collaborate with her band on a small change to their show. The bodyguard was beginning to realize that she did that quite regularly, not caring a bit if she was disrupting the sound or lighting tests going on around her. The tall, gorgeous blonde with stunning blue eyes was a perfectionist when it came to her music and wanted everything just so.

“No!” she heard the woman snap. “That’s not right…” But Mac suddenly stopped and took a deep breath in and out. “I’m sorry, Winn,” she said contritely, looking down at her own guitar and tapping her fingers against the neck.

“It’s ok,” the man replied with a smile. “I get it. You want it to sound right. How about we compromise on this.” He played a few chords and then lifted an eyebrow at her in question.

“Yeah, nice,” Mac grinned. “That’ll work.” She clapped her friend on the back and nodded. Then her eyes strayed to Alex who met the suddenly cool blue with a professional nod. Mac rolled her eyes and went back to rehearsal.

Alex Danvers, personal protective services consultant, and Kara McKenzie, pop-country music star affectionately called “Mac” by her fans, had met only a week prior, after Mac’s manager had insisted on hiring Alex as her personal bodyguard. The singer had received a number of threats to her managed public email address and social media accounts and then suddenly to her personal email address, which no one was supposed to have outside of her inner circle. Harry was understandably worried. Mac had an honest-to-God stalker.

Alex had taken the job gladly as a favor to Harry, whom she’d known a while, but unfortunately, Mac had an issue with being followed around by a woman she didn’t know. There had been… words… but at Harry’s urging, Mac had finally given in, telling her new bodyguard in no uncertain terms not to get in her way. Alex had merely inclined her head graciously. She knew that, deep down, the singer was scared and that she was trying to hide it with bravado.

So, over the last few days, Alex had reviewed the security at Mac’s ranch home with the estate’s security manager, John McLeesh, and they’d made some changes together that made Alex feel better about her client’s safety.

Alex was looking around the arena, identifying potential points of security failure when a yell caught her attention. “Alex!” Mac said annoyedly, holding her hands up. “Lunch?!”

The bodyguard straightened and nodded as she made her way across the stage, stepping over cables and avoiding guitar stands. “You sounded great,” she commented as the singer set her guitar on her stand.

“Didn’t think you were listening,” Mac replied sarcastically. “Thought you were too busy daydreaming over there.”

Alex chuckled, ignoring the woman’s tone. “There’s a difference between daydreaming and mental planning, Miss McKenzie. I’m always paying attention to you.”

Mac pushed her long, blonde hair back behind her ears, defined biceps on full display courtesy of the muscle t-shirt she was wearing tucked into tight, faded jeans. She was about to say something else when she suddenly stopped and regarded Alex with a critical eye. “You look like Secret Service and I don’t think that’s the message Mac needs to send. Can you dress more casually please?”

Alex looked down at her pantsuit and then back up at her client. “If that’s what you want.” She mentally cataloged the casual clothes in her suitcase and realized she’d have to go shopping the next downtime she got.

“It is. Now let’s get to lunch. I have some errands I need to run this afternoon before the show starts at seven.”

“I don’t have errands on the schedule for today,” Alex immediately answered but the blonde just grinned over her shoulder as she started walking.

“Gotta keep up, Alex,” she replied. “Mac’s a busy woman.”

Without comment, Alex caught up, stepping not-so-politely in front of her as she reached the venue’s exit. The singer almost walked into her back but stopped just in time with a deep scowl and waited. Alex stepped through the doors and looked carefully around before she opened the rear door of the black SUV that would be carrying Mac and her band to lunch.

“Ok,” she said, stepping back to let her charge enter the vehicle. The rest of the band piled in along with her and, after one more look around, Alex got into the front passenger seat and nodded to the driver. “Let’s go.” Then she settled back and tried to tune out the raucous noise behind her as the band excitedly discussed the show.

Xx

“She’s totally doing this on purpose,” Alex muttered as Mac led her down yet another aisle of sex toys. Alex had been protecting the star for two months now and, still actively trying to annoy her bodyguard, the openly lesbian singer had insisted on a stop at an adult store after they’d dropped the band back to the hotel. The concert that evening had gone great and the singer was still on a high.

“What the hell is this for?” Mac asked as she picked up a dubious looking contraption and held it up for Alex to inspect.

“I wouldn’t know, Miss McKenzie” Alex replied, her tone calm and professional.

The blonde rolled her eyes, finally hitting her fill of the tension between them. “Seriously?” she said in hissed exasperation. “Alex, if you’re going to follow me around, I expect you to at least take part in the conversation. Or is that stick shoved so far up your ass that you can’t even be human? And for God’s sake, stop with the Miss McKenzie shit and call me Kara.”

“Ok, ok, truce.” The bodyguard replied, holding up her hands in surrender as she capitulated and moved closer to take a look. She tilted her head and frowned. “I’m not sure,” she replied after a moment. “But I’m pretty sure it’s for a woman to wear.”

“Really? Where would this…” Alex took the toy and turned it for Kara to look at from another angle. “Oh.” The singer chuckled with a sheepish grin. “Riiiiiight.”

They shared a smile then and Alex suddenly saw a different side to the often-prickly singer. “So, what are we here for?” she asked. “Just browsing or do you have something specific in mind.”

Kara shrugged a little. “Browsing, I guess. Do you have any of this stuff?”

“Uh…” Alex tried to be diplomatic. “I don’t really frequent adult stores.”

Kara laughed. “You totally dodged the question. Impressive.”

“Training,” the bodyguard replied but her tone was warm. She took a step closer to her charge, keeping her voice low. “Look, Kara, I know this situation isn’t ideal and I know I’m an intrusion into your life, but I really am just here to make sure no one hurts you. We don’t have to be friends and you don’t even have to talk to me at all if you don’t want to.”

Kara nodded slowly as she thought about that. “Thing is,” she replied. “I do want to talk to you, but I don’t know where the boundaries are. Can we even be friends, Alex? I’ve seen the Bodyguard and Frank made it clear to Rachel that they couldn’t be friends.”

Alex chuckled. “Well, if you’ve seen that, you’ve also seen how well the no-friends-rule turned out for them. We’re humans. We can be friends, Kara, with the understanding that I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you safe. I need you to do what I say exactly when I say it. No questions. Deal?”

Kara held out her hand and Alex shook it. “Deal.” Then she looked around. They were drawing a crowd of curious, whispering onlookers and she sucked in a breath as she realized she was in danger of being identified any second, despite the baseball cap hanging low over her face and the black-framed glasses she’d donned after taking out her contact lenses. “Alex, get me out of here please?” she said quietly.

The bodyguard laughed softly and shook her head. “You don’t want to buy a vibrator?” she whispered conspiratorially.

But the singer winked saucily. “Oh, I have enough of those already,” she whispered back. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Alex nodded and, to Kara’s surprise, she wrapped her arm around the singer’s neck, helping to obscure her face as she drew her in to kiss her temple. “Come on, Zoe,” she said, putting on her best local accent and speaking at normal volume. “Let’s get home. I’m tired after all the dancin’. Mac was really great, wasn’t she?”

“She was,” Kara replied, pulling off a reasonable approximation of a Georgia lilt as she held Alex around the waist. “Wish I could have met her though.”

“We’ll save up and buy a meet and greet next time, I promise, Baby,” Alex added, noting that people were losing interest in them and wandering away.

“Told you it wasn’t her,” a nearby woman said. “Mac is taller.”

They ambled out of the store, hips bumping together as they walked but Alex stopped them as they stepped outside, looking around carefully before moving them quickly to the SUV. She opened the rear door and waited for Kara to get in before sliding in beside her. The driver immediately pulled out of the parking lot and onto the quiet streets back toward the hotel.

“Thank you,” Kara said quietly as the bodyguard pulled out her cell phone to check for traffic disruptions. Late as it was though, there were none. “Although I think I’m a little insulted by the Mac is taller comment.”

“Don’t mention it,” Alex replied as she tucked her phone away and leaned her head back against the headrest. “And, in fairness, you’re tall but you do look taller on TV.”

Kara covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned widely. “Where are we going tomorrow?” she asked.

“Home,” Alex replied. “You have a few days before your next show.”

“I’ve been ignoring Harry’s calls,” the singer admitted. “He’s been trying to talk me into liking you, but I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to decide for myself. You’ve been patient and professional, and I like you, Alex. I promise I’ll cooperate with whatever you say.”

“I haven’t been ignoring Harry’s calls,” Alex replied as she ran her fingers through her chin-length, dark hair. “He knows what’s been going on and I told him that everything would be ok.”

“How did you know?” the singer asked curiously.

“Because you’re a good person, Kara, and you have a huge heart. I knew you’d open up to me when you were ready.”

Their eyes met and held for a long moment before Kara’s fluttered shut tiredly. “Maybe you’re giving me too much credit.”

“On the contrary, based on tonight, I’m giving you just the right amount of credit.”

Kara just smiled.

Xx

Alex was relaxing in the seating area in the corner of her large bedroom, a book clasped in her hands. She had the windows ajar, letting the cool spring breeze drift through the room and lightly ruffle her hair. Then she smiled as piano music drifted to her along with Kara’s beautiful voice. The singer was in her studio down the hallway, no doubt working on a new song.

Kara was always working in some capacity or other. After an hour-long workout every morning, she did various TV shows, attended meetings and managed to get breakfast in there somewhere.

After lunch, she’d have interviews, publicity or photoshoots, which normally took most of the afternoon or she’d visit kids at a local hospital in whichever city she was in if she didn’t have to go to a sound check. Then in the early evenings, she’d sit in front of her portable keyboard to write or just come up with melodies, to which she’d write lyrics later. She also used this time to warm up her voice if she had a show that night.

When she was at home, Kara could be found every evening in her studio, sitting at her piano and surrounded by a base, electric and acoustic guitar. She played all of the instruments professionally and had been known to perform a drum set or two over the course of her career. Kara’s schedule was nothing but efficient and Alex liked that a lot. It made the star’s life almost predictable but not boring, since they were somewhere different almost every day.

The bodyguard was suddenly jerked out of her musings by the sound of a yell and the slamming of hands down on piano keys. She was up, gun drawn and down the corridor in a split second and burst into the studio, taking in the scene with a well-trained eye as her heart thudded in her chest. After a moment to catch her breath, she holstered her weapon and slowly crossed the room.

Kara was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, blue eyes red-rimmed and wet. “Sorry,” she sighed and looked down at her bare feet, wiggling her toes a little. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Alex slid down the wall and sat next to the blonde, resting her arms on her upraised knees. “What happened?” she asked softly.

“I lost my temper,” the singer replied with a little shrug. “I’ve been having a hard time writing since… her.”

Despite Mac’s reputation for being somewhat of a womanizer, Alex had only seen Kara date one person over the four months she’d been protecting her. Kara had really liked Felicity, but it had ended badly with the gold-digger suing the singer for something stupid. Kara’s lawyers had settled on her behalf, but it had been a blow and Mac had been lying low for the last couple of weeks while the media coverage died down and Kara nursed a bruised heart.

For a moment, Alex’s thoughts drifted to how strange it was that even SHE had come to think of Kara and Mac as two different personas. Mac was a rambunctious, loud and gritty performer, while Kara was smart, kind, thoughtful and extremely talented. She liked them both. “What can I do to help?” the bodyguard asked gently.

“I… I don’t know…” Kara replied. “Alex, I just feel so betrayed. I thought Felicity wanted to be with me, but she was just like the rest. She just wanted the perks of being with Mac. And then there’s the threat of the stalker…”

Alex sidled closer to her charge and wrapped her arm around her. “Look, maybe getting away from all the bullshit would help you feel better. You have a week-long break coming up. Why don’t we get Eve to book you somewhere warm and beachy?”

“Us,” Kara replied, sniffling.

“Hmmm?”

“Us,” the singer repeated. “Can it just be us? I want to be alone, but I’ll only feel safe if you’re there too, Alex.”

The bodyguard nodded seriously. She hadn’t discussed it with Kara but the campaign against Mac had stepped up and Alex had put all of the security staff on high alert. She also hadn’t told Kara that a box containing a dog’s head had been delivered to the house along with several bouquets of dead flowers and a poisoned box of heart-shaped chocolates. She knew it would only upset the singer and Kara really didn’t need to know about it right now. Getting away from it all sounded like a good idea.

“Or course, us,” the dark-haired woman replied. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Kara smiled then and bumped Alex’s shoulder gently with her own. “We both need to have some fun. I know things have been stressful for you lately, with all the special packages arriving.” At Alex’s raised eyebrow, Kara chuckled. “There isn’t a lot that happens around here that I don’t know about.”

“I just didn’t want…”

But the singer held up a hand and smiled. “I get it.” She got herself up off the floor and offered a hand to her bodyguard to haul her to her feet. “I’ll get Eve to book an island getaway of some sort.”

“I won’t say no to some rest and relaxation,” Alex admitted with a little shrug.

“Oooohhh bikini shopping!” Kara exclaimed, visibly brightening as she sized up her bodyguard. “I bet you look hot in red.”

Alex just rolled her eyes and smiled indulgently.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip away, some backstory about the girls and a frightening adventure...

“I like that one for you,” Kara said as she appraised the bikinis on the mannequins in front of her. She crossed her arms as Alex looked them over.

That’s a piece of string,” the bodyguard pointed out. “Besides, we’re not here to shop for me.” They were in the private fitting area of a high-priced store. “I already have a bathing suit.”

The singer tutted. “Really, Alex? I’m the one who has to look at you in it.” She waggled her eyebrows teasingly.

“I’m calling HR on you,” the bodyguard joked with an exasperated eye-roll. “Now which one for you?”

To Alex’s surprise, Kara picked out a modest two piece in dark blue and went into a changing stall to try it on. Moments later, she emerged and stood shyly in front of the bodyguard with her arms crossed over her stomach. “What do you think?” she asked, her face a little flushed. “Is it a bit too revealing?” She reluctantly dropped her arms to her sides, revealing well-defined abs and a navel pierced with a diamond ring.

For a moment, Alex could hardly form words. Her heartrate picked up and her breath stuttered a little. The singer just looked so… “It’s perfect,” she said, hoarsely. Then she cleared her throat and smiled. “It looks great. You should get one in every color.”

The store assistant nodded her agreement, internally relishing the commission on a three-thousand-dollar sale. “Your friend’s right, Miss McKenzie. It’s like that style was designed specifically for you.”

“Please, call me Mac,” Kara replied with a smile and Alex smiled internally. She’d heard Kara say that to people a lot, but Alex was one of the very few people the singer had asked to call her by her first name. “Ok, I’ll take the blue and red.” She took her wallet out of her hip pocket and fished out her credit card to hand it over. “Thanks.”

“I can bill back to your financial manager, if you’d like?” the sales consultant suggested.

“No, thanks,” Kara replied. “I’ve got it.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

A few moments later, as they were strolling out of the store, Kara’s phone chimed, and she pulled it out to read the message. “Oh cool,” she grinned widely. “Eve got us a cabana with a stretch of private beach in Hawaii. We’re flying out on Saturday.”

“Sounds great,” Alex replied, already starting to make a mental list of security preparations. First thing she had to do was get the name of the resort from Eve and call them…

Xx

“Holy shit!” Kara exclaimed as she dropped her suitcase and spun around, taking in the cabana’s interior. “This place is huge!” She took a deep breath and sang a joyful note comfortably within her considerable range, holding it through her vibrato and until she ran out of air. “Great acoustics too!”

Alex grinned and leaned against the doorframe as she watched the singer. She’d studied the entire resort for her security planning and had been on the phone with the manager a number of times over the previous week but still, it exceeded even the bodyguard’s expectations.

The cabana was a large open space with living room, dining room and kitchen. There were two bedrooms, one facing the other on either side of the living space. It was secluded from prying eyes and sat right on the beach. The room she intended Kara to have had large folding doors out to a deck that boasted an ocean view. Her own room had a partial ocean view as well as a view of the resort’s landscaped pool area.

“Nice, huh?”

“Nice?! Shit, Alex. This is fit for a queen. Which room is mine?”

Alex chuckled and shook her head. “This is your vacation, Kara, so you get to choose but, that one…” She pointed to the right. “… has a full sea view. I think you might like it best.”

The singer nodded and wheeled her bag to the right, moving through a set of double doors into a beautifully decorated bedroom. The four poster, king-sized bed was facing the window and, as Alex followed her in, Kara flipped off her shoes and jumped onto it to lie with her arms outstretched in the middle of it, playfully making comforter angels and grinning widely. Then she got up and went to look into the bathroom with its large double shower, jetted tub and vanity. To the right of the bed was a fireplace with a small seating group facing a large TV that also swiveled out from the wall to an angle that could be also viewed from the bed. “This is epic,” Kara laughed. She lifted her suitcase up onto the bed and unzipped it to get one of her bikinis out. Then she lifted her long necklace and tank top off over her head.

Alex cleared her throat, averting her eyes as Kara’s bra landed on the bed. “I’ll let you get changed while I do a quick sweep outside. I want to make sure everything is secure.”

“Ok,” the singer replied happily. “Don’t be long. We’ve got sunbathing to do!”

Alex crossed to the other bedroom, which was as amazing as Kara’s, and opened her suitcase. She changed into a sleek black one-piece and then threw shorts and a t-shirt on over it before slipping her Glock into the back of her waistband. The gun felt cool against the small of her back, but it warmed up quickly as she slipped into beach shoes and then headed outside. Alex walked the perimeter of the cabana, satisfied that the precautions she’d asked for had been done. She noted that the bushes around the cabana had been trimmed back and the extra lights she’d asked for had been installed.

Part of her wanted to stay in the same room as Kara to make sure she was safe, but she also knew she was being overly-paranoid. No one except herself, Eve, John McLeesh, back at the house, and Harry knew where the singer actually was. Everyone else would just have to contact Kara by phone.

“Alex!” The bodyguard turned to find the singer standing on the deck outside her room, dressed in her blue bikini, with two towels over her arm. She moved down the steps and walked, barefoot, across the beach, the sand adding a swivel to her steps that made her toned abs, thighs and calves move provocatively. Alex swallowed and lifted her hand in a wave as she moved to meet her client.

“Everything ok?” the blonde asked as she picked a spot and spread the towels out side-by-side.

“Everything’s great. Thanks for bringing my towel out,” the bodyguard replied as she sat on the scratchy material, leaned back on her hands and gazed out over the ocean.

“No problem.” Kara sat, cross-legged on hers and gazed out over the ocean herself, enjoying the warm breeze as it lifted her hair and tickled the back of her neck. “So, what’s the plan, Stan?”

“No plan,” Alex responded, her eyebrows lifting behind her sunglasses. “It’s your vacation. There are no interviews or meetings or photoshoots for the whole week.”

A light laugh escaped the blonde as her head turned toward her bodyguard. “What? I don’t have to be anywhere? There are no rules about where I can go or anything?”

This time Alex laughed. “Of course not. As long as you don’t go off on your own, you can go wherever you want to. I can’t protect you if I’m not with you.”

The singer pursed her lips, her voice turning soft. “I wouldn’t want to go anywhere without you anyway,” she replied. She looked back to the ocean and then lay back on her towel, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the late afternoon sun.

“We need to get you some sunscreen” Alex said pressing her fingers to her friend’s arm. “Wouldn’t want you ending up like a lobster. I’m not sure how I’d explain that to your makeup team.”

“I don’t wear makeup,” Kara replied sagely, barely able to keep the little grin off her face. “I wake up looking this perfect.”

“What, windswept and covered in sand?” the bodyguard teased affectionately.

“Exactly,” replied the blonde. She scratched her stomach, chuckling lightly. “You’re right though, I do need sunscreen. So do you.”

“I grew up in California,” Alex informed her client. “We have a natural immunity to sunburn.”

“Riiiiiiiight,” Kara drawled, overselling her natural Tennessee accent. “I believe you, millions wouldn’t.”

The bodyguard grinned and then sat up to take off her t-shirt and shimmy out of her shorts. She folded the clothes into a pile and hid her gun in it after double-checking the safety. Kara’s eyes immediately rested on her and the singer coughed a little. “That… that suit looks great on your… uh… you,” she said, inwardly slapping herself as the word BOOBS screamed in her head. Alex’s muscular body was gorgeous, and Kara’s own body suddenly reminded her that she hadn’t had sex in weeks

“Thanks, so… the plan,” the bodyguard went on. “I was thinking a swim, some dinner at the resort’s patio restaurant and a walk. Maybe some TV in bed? I don’t know about you, but I could do with some sleep.”

All of that sounded very appealing to the worn-out star so she nodded happily and got herself onto her feet. They were alone on their private beach, but Alex quickly got up too to scan the area. Then they walked side-by-side down to the water.

“Ooohhh, it’s a little chilly,” Kara exclaimed as she let the waves wash over her feet.

You’ll adjust pretty quickly. It’s not that cold,” Alex replied with a smile. On a whim, she took the singer’s hand and led her further into the water. “You ok?”

“Sure,” the blonde grinned. Soon they were chest deep and Alex ducked under the water to wet her hair and then smooth it back from her face as she surfaced. “Are you a good swimmer?” Kara asked.

“Yeah, I grew up at the ocean.” Alex replied. “Plus, I was a Marine.”

“You were?” Kara said, utterly surprised. “I thought you were in the FBI.”

“I was, after the Marines,” the bodyguard replied with a shrug.

“How old are you?” Kara suddenly asked.

“Thirty-five,” Alex replied. “I joined the Marines right out of high school and got my degree while I was serving, then I joined the FBI and spent eight years there. After that, three years in the Secret Service. But I got shot and decided to retire. I’ve been working freelance for just over a year now. I had thought about becoming a private detective, but protection services suit me better.” They were swimming in circles close to each other. “What about you? How did you get to be a superstar?”

“I don’t think I’ve earned the moniker of superstar just yet,” the singer laughed. “But mine is a story like a lot of others. I loved singing from an early age. I took voice lessons, performed in musical theater, stuff like that. When I was in my senior year, I applied to a bunch of schools with theater and musical programs. Imagine how completely shocked I was when I was accepted to Juilliard.”

Alex blinked. “Wow, you went to Juilliard,” she breathed.

“After I graduated, I was a little lost though,” Kara went on. “I knew I wanted to sing more than act, so I went back home to Nashville and I started singing there. It took three years of bars and clubs but finally, Harry discovered and signed me. I’ve been with him for five years now.” Kara swam a little closer. “Where did you get shot?”

The bodyguard reached down and took Kara’s hand, then moved it to her thigh to a rough patch of skin. “Feel that?”

“Yeah,” Kara breathed.

“It was a through and through, but it nicked my femoral artery. I’m very lucky to be alive.”

Kara looked down for a long moment as her chest ached for her friend. Then she looked right into Alex’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re alive,” she replied, keeping her hold on the bodyguard’s hand.

The brunette just nodded and broke their eye contact. “It’s getting late,” she said. “We should get changed for dinner, assuming you’d still like to eat with me?”

“Absolutely!” Kara confirmed and they headed back to the beach to grab their towels and dry off.

Xx

Alex was waiting in the main seating area of the cabana for Kara to finish dressing for dinner. She was wearing a pair of green pants and a white, silk shirt, open a few buttons at the collar with a pair of white, low-heeled sandals. Her gun was holstered at the small of her back and she had a small purse for her wallet and phone. Just as her stomach began to rumble, Kara emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a figure-hugging, sleeveless, yellow dress. It was so far from her usual jeans and shirt combo that Alex’s breath caught in her chest. The singer was stunning.

“Not exactly what you’re used to seeing from Mac, huh?” Kara said with a little chuckle.

“No,” Alex replied with a smile as she stood up. “You look…” She shook her head. “Absolutely amazing.”

“And you’re beautiful.” The words were out before the singer even knew they were coming.

“I appreciate the compliment,” the bodyguard said with a shy smile. “Shall we go?”

“We shall,” Kara replied, and they walked together over to the resort’s patio restaurant which overlooked the ocean. The sun was setting on the horizon and as they were shown to their table, Kara paused to just stand for a moment and admire the red hue over the calm sea. “It’s so beautiful,” she murmured, her mind already forming lyrics as she hummed a melody that suddenly hit her. She pulled out her iPhone and turned the voice recorder on, humming the melody again and then singing the lyrics as the chorus of a new song.

Alex was amazed as she watched the singer spontaneously create something beautiful and she moved to stand beside her and listen, smiling as Kara leaned against her a little. “This was a great idea, Alex,” the blonde said softly. “I really needed this.”

“Kara, I’m really sorry about what Felicity did to you. You didn’t deserve it.”

The singer nodded and moved to the table to sit down. Alex joined her a moment later and the blonde rested her chin on her joined hands. “When you’re famous it’s hard to trust people. It’s really hard to know whether someone wants you for you… or for the perks of your fame. It’s also super-scary when your dirty laundry gets aired in front of the whole world.” She paused a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for everything I have, and I love my life… but I sometimes wish bad guys would wear black hats, you know?”

Alex nodded slowly. “I know exactly what you mean,” she replied. “I was shot by someone I thought I could trust.”

“Jesus,” Kara breathed. “What happened?”

“I was working a case with a foreign agency and… I stupidly let myself get involved with one of their agents. I figured out pretty quickly after he shot me in the shower that he was a double agent.” She looked down and shook her head. “He lied to me every day for months, slept with me and pretended to love me. I still can’t figure out why he just didn’t kill me,” she finished bitterly.

“Maybe some part of him did really care about you?” Kara suggested softly, resting her hand on her friend’s.

A single tear tracked down Alex’s face and she quickly wiped it away and cleared her throat, withdrawing from the affection. “Anyway, I learned my lesson and decided that working alone was easier. You can always trust yourself, right?”

Kara looked back at her dubiously. “Sometimes that’s debatable,” she chuckled, and Alex laughed softly.

“Do I sense a story behind that statement?”

“Let’s just say that Mac has been known to make questionable decisions when it comes to women, especially if there’s alcohol involved.” She shrugged then. “It’s why I quit drinking when I’m on the road.” She picked up her glass of water and toasted her companion with it as their server arrived.

“Hi, I’m Jackie,” the woman said with a smile. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Alex lifted an eyebrow at Kara. “You’re not on the road now,” she said. “And I’ll make sure you get home safely.”

“I’ll have a large frozen margarita please, top shelf, no salt,” the singer said with a grin.

“Diet Coke please,” Alex added, setting the drinks menu down on the table. “You want seafood?”

“Absolutely,” Kara replied.

“We’ll start with the seafood appetizer platter please,” the bodyguard said.

“Great choice,” Jackie responded. “I’ll bring all that right out.”

Kara relaxed back in her chair, her head turning as she gazed out over the ocean, lost in thought. There were a small number of people also dining on the patio and Alex tensed up, her hand going to her weapon as a man suddenly got up from his table and approached them. She waited until he was only a few feet away and then stood up, her left hand outstretched as her right hovered over her gun. “Please stop there, Sir,” she stated.

Kara looked around in surprise as the man stopped dead. “Take it easy,” he said. “I was just going to ask Mac for an autograph for my wife. She’s a huge fan.” He held up a pen and napkin.

“Alex,” the singer said softly as she stood and placed her hand on her bodyguard’s. “It’s ok.” She smiled at the man and then took the pen and napkin from him. “What’s your wife’s name?”

“It’s Maggie,” he replied, warily watching Alex as she eased back and sat down again.

“That’s my mama’s name,” Kara said with a big grin. She sat down again and wrote a few words on the napkin before signing it with her usual flourish and drawing a flower over the i in her last name. “Here you go. Have a nice evening.”

“Thanks, Mac, you too,” the man replied and with a little salute to Alex, headed back to his table.

“Always on duty, huh?” Kara said gently, noting the frown on her friend’s face.

“I’m sorry,” Alex replied. “I guess I’m a little more on edge than I realized.”

“Don’t apologize,” the singer said with a shrug. “What if he HAD been coming to hurt me? I certainly didn’t see him coming. You did nothing wrong.”

Jackie arrived back to the table then with the platter and both drinks on a tray. “Here you go, Ladies. I’ll be back in a moment to take your entrée orders.”

Kara picked up her menu and scanned it, quickly picking out a sushi dish. “Ooohhh sashimi… yum.”

Alex’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I didn’t figure you for a sushi girl,” she said.

“I kinda fell in love with it when I was touring in Japan,” Kara replied. She took a sip of her margarita and closed her eyes, licking her lips in pleasure. “Oh, that’s good. You’d be surprised how many Japanese folks like American pop-country. I’m not sure if they understood what I was saying to them on stage, but they sure did scream their heads off. It was great.”

“Is that why you love to perform?” Alex asked.

“You mean the adoring fans?” Kara said wryly. “I’m self-aware enough to admit that’s some of it but… it’s more the connection we make through music.” She leaned back in her chair again, thinking. “When I’m on stage and the lights are down, I can’t see much of anything out in the audience except for camera flashes and cell phone light. It’s hard to make a connection at first. But then the audience starts to sing with me and it’s so loud sometimes that the sound crew has to turn up my earpiece volume just so I can hear the music and stay on-beat.” She grinned. “It’s the most amazing fucking feeling in the world, Alex, to have your songs sung back to you by thousands of people. It’s a jolt to the heart.” She rested her hand on her chest and then shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s like that for every performer but that’s what I get out of it.” She chuckled. “Plus, the money’s ok.”

“You love what you do,” the bodyguard said. “That’s a wonderful thing.”

Jackie came back and took their orders and there was a comfortable quiet between them as Alex thought about what Kara had said.

“Alex?” Kara broke the stillness. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

The bodyguard shrugged. “Sure.”

“Are you seeing anyone?” Kara back-peddled at her companion’s raised eyebrow. “I mean, is this job taking you away from someone you care about?”

No,” Alex responded quietly. “I’m not seeing anyone.

Kara sighed. “So, you’re not getting any either,” she joked, trying to lighten the subject a little.

“That must be so hard for you, Miss I-MUST-Visit-an-Adult-Store-in-Every-City-I’m-Ever-In,” the bodyguard teased.

“I do not!” the singer exclaimed. “Well, not in EVERY city.”

Alex laughed heartily and without thinking, reached across the table to take Kara’s hand and bring it to her lips, brushing them softly over the singer’s knuckles. But she suddenly realized what she was doing, and she dropped Kara’s hand, her eyes wide. “Sorry, I’m so sorry,” she said as she leaned back her chair.

“Alex,” Kara said, reaching toward her friend. “It’s ok. Really.”

“No, no it’s not,” the bodyguard replied. “I wasn’t thinking, which means I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Alex, please,” the blonde asked gently, hand still outstretched. “Please?” Alex slowly took her hand again, feeling the blonde squeeze it before letting it go. “You know, I trust that you’ll react to anything that happens. I trust you with my life.” Kara picked up her drink and took a long swallow. “And I trust that you’re probably going to have to carry me home tonight,” she added with a grin and a wink.

“That’s fine. I’m pretty good at a fireman’s carry and you don’t weigh a lot,” the bodyguard shrugged, a teasing smile touching her lips.

Kara relaxed a little, letting the tension of the previous moment go. “Thank you for calling me thin, but here I was, thinking romantic scenes of you carrying me bridal style, back to the cabana, taking me to my bedroom and…” She waggled her brows. “And you’re thinking about throwing me over your shoulder like a caveman, with my underwear flapping in the wind.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed. Then she leaned in conspiratorially. “You do realize that I’m not gay, right?”

“A girl can dream,” the blonde replied in a dreamy tone. “I guess no one’s perfect.”

The rest of the meal went without a hitch or anymore interruptions and Kara made it through four pretty huge margaritas, which true to her word, left her a little tipsy. They asked for the meal to be billed to their cabana and then Alex looked up at the moonlit sky.

“I don’t think you’re drunk enough that I have to carry you,” she teased. “So how about a walk on the beach? It’s a gorgeous night.”

“Sure,” the singer replied amiably. “Sounds great.”

They left the restaurant and headed down to their little stretch of private sand. Kara linked her arm through Alex’s to steady herself as they strolled, watching the moon reflecting off the gentle waves.

“I’ve never done this with anyone before,” Kara said.

“Done what?” Alex asked.

“Walked on the beach in the moonlight.” The singer pushed her blonde hair back out of her face. “I haven’t seen the ocean that much. When I’m touring, we move from place to place so fast that I don’t get a chance and I live in a landlocked state.” She shrugged. “We had nice lakes near where I grew up but no ocean.”

“I grew up on the ocean,” the bodyguard replied. “In a little town called Midvale. I did a lot of surfing and jet skiing.” She chuckled then. “My first sexual experience was on a beach. It took me days to get the sand out of my bits.”

Kara snickered. “My first sexual experience was in the bed of my Daddy’s pickup truck. It was with a girl I liked who worked at the movie theater in town.” Kara wasn’t aware that she’d slipped back into her hometown Tennessee drawl. Alex loved it and smiled tenderly. “She was more nervous than a rattlesnake, shit, but it was a lot of fun. I look back on those days sometimes and wonder if she’s still working in that movie theater. We didn’t see each other again after I moved to New York to go to school and she didn’t have a school lined up before I left.”

“My first boyfriend was a jock,” Alex explained. “But so was I. Captain of the soccer and surfing teams. He was the quarterback.” She paused for a moment. “I guess it was just assumed that we’d date.” She shrugged and then caught Kara by the hand as she tripped over a rock in the sand. “You ok?”

“Yeah, sorry, too much margarita. Tell me more.”

“The sex was terrible,” the bodyguard went on. ”He was a selfish, entitled prick actually.”

“Men,” Kara scoffed teasingly.

“Right,” Alex grinned.

“What about girls?” Kara asked.

“What about them?” the bodyguard countered, eyebrows raised.

The singer laced her fingers into her friend’s and squeezed gently, swinging their hands. “Were there any girls you liked? Straight girls can have girl crushes too. My friends did.” Alex was quiet for a moment before meeting Kara’s eyes. “Oooh, there WAS someone!” the blonde exclaimed. “Tell me everything!”

“Kara,” the bodyguard shook her head. “I can’t go there, ok?”

“Wow,” the blonde replied, turning serious. “She really hurt you. I’m sorry, Alex.”

“It’s ok. It was a long time ago.”

“High school?”

“No…” Alex took a breath. “It was when I was in the Marines actually.” She didn’t want to talk about it but somehow, the words just kept coming. “We met at basic training and we had a thing for a while. She was the first woman I’d ever been with, so I had no idea what I was doing. It was all so secret. No homosexual fraternizing in the military, you know. I told her I wanted more with her and it scared her to death, so she decided to go screw some guys to prove she wasn’t gay and took a promotion. I heard about it after she was already reassigned.” The bodyguard shrugged. “That’s it.”

Kara squeezed her hand again. “I think there’s a lot more to it,” she said. “But I get it.”

They were almost back to the cabana when Alex suddenly tensed up again and she swung Kara around, stepping in front of her. “Stay behind me.” She drew her gun and peered into the darkness as Kara pressed tightly against her back.

“What is it, Alex?” the singer whispered, pressing her face into her bodyguard’s hair.

“There’s someone in your room,” Alex responded quietly.

“Maybe it’s staff,” Kara whispered again.

“Not at one in the morning,” the bodyguard said. “See that big boulder to our right,” she said.

“Yeah, I see it.”

“I want you to stay behind that until I come back and get you. Do not come out until I’m physically back here. Do you understand, Kara?” Alex pulled her clip out of her gun to make sure it was full and then slid it back into place with a click.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Go.” The bodyguard watched as her charge made it to the rock and disappeared from sight. Then she moved quietly along the brush line toward the cabana until she reached the deck, ducking along the exterior of the rail as she moved into position to see into Kara’s room. She slowly lifted her head until her eyes were just above floor level and scanned the interior. She didn’t see anyone, so she eased up and silently climbed the steps, her gun held in both hands but pointed downward. The cabana was lit by lamp and firelight, but the intruder had been dressed in black and easily visible to the bodyguard’s trained eyes. She’d made sure that the doors were locked when she and Kara had left earlier that night and she silently tried each handle as she moved along the deck. They were still locked so she crept, head down, around the side of the building and approached the front door. It was closed and when she tried it, it was also locked. She let out a frustrated breath and reached into her pocket to get her keycard. And then a voice came out of the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our girls get a LOT closer after some major flirting…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s some explicit sexual content in this chapter… you’re welcome ;-)

Behind the boulder, Kara was shaking with worry. Alex had been gone nearly fifteen minutes and the last the singer had seen of her was when she’d crept up the stairs of the deck. “Shit,” Kara whispered as she eased around the rock to see if she could get a better view. “Where the hell are you, Alex?” She was on her hands and knees and was just about to get up and follow her friend when the bodyguard suddenly appeared from the brush close by. “Come on out, Kara,” Alex called. “It’s ok.”

The singer got to her feet, now fully sober, and to Alex’s surprise, pulled her in for a long, crushing hug. Then she pushed her away with a scowl. “You jerk,” she exclaimed, punching the bodyguard’s shoulder. “I thought you were dead!”

Alex laughed softly and rubbed her arm. “Hey, that hurt and I’m obviously not dead, Kara.”

“Jerk,” Kara pouted.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” the bodyguard said, gently holding the singer at her biceps and looking up into her eyes. “But I had to be sure that it was safe for you before I came back.”

“What was it?” the singer asked. “Was there really someone in there?”

“Yeah,” Alex replied. “Apparently, there’s been a spate of burglaries at the resorts around here. The extra security measures I asked for helped the security team catch the guy who’s responsible. They saw him on the cameras and the guards caught him before I even made it to the building. They saw me come back and scared the shit out of me coming to tell me, just as I was about to go inside. The burglar is in police custody up at the main hotel building now and I’ve checked the cabana for any damage or anything missing.”

Kara let out a huge sigh of relief. “No stalker then?” she asked.

“No stalker,” Alex replied with a smile. “Just a good old-fashioned attempted robbery.”

“Well that makes me feel a LOT better,” the blonde chuckled with a good-natured eyeroll.

“Come on, let’s get back. It’s starting to get chilly,” the bodyguard said, wrapping her arm around Kara’s shoulders and getting them walking.

“Thanks for taking care of me,” Kara said, enjoying the warmth against her bare arms. “But you’re still a jerk.”

Xx

The double doors of Kara’s bedroom were ajar, and lamplight spilled out into the main living area of the cabana through the crack as Alex went to the refrigerator to get some water. It was after three and she was having trouble getting to sleep. Judging by the low music floating to her, it seemed like Kara was too. She crossed the living room and tapped lightly on the door before easing it open a little more and sticking her head in. Kara was sitting at her portable keyboard in boxers and tank top, hair tied up in a messy ponytail and dark-rimmed glasses framing her blue eyes. The keyboard’s volume was turned down low and she was singly softly as her fingers moved expertly across the keys. The bodyguard recognized the song as the melody the singer had come up with at dinner.

Alex moved across the room and exchanged a smile with her friend as she took a seat next to her. Kara made a note on a hand-written sheet of music, took off her glasses and then bumped the bodyguard gently with her shoulder. “Can’t sleep?” she asked.

“No. You neither?” Alex replied.

Kara picked up a glass of wine the bodyguard hadn’t noticed and took a sip. There was an almost empty bottle sitting on the table next to the keyboard. “Despite self-medicating,” she said. “No. I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened tonight.” She sighed heavily. “What if it never stops, Alex? I don’t want to have to live the rest of my life in fear like that.”

The bodyguard guided Kara’s glass to her lips and took a sip, enjoying the sensation of the alcohol as it warmed her all the way down to her stomach. “The police will catch him,” she said. “And until then, I’m going to protect you.”

“I’m scared,” the singer murmured, tears shimmering in her eyes.

“I know but I promise, I’m never going to stop protecting you,” Alex said.

“No,” Kara shook her head, tears trickling down her cheeks. “I’m scared that something will happen to YOU.”

The words hung in the air between them for a long moment and Alex’s brown eyes gentled. “Kara,” she said softly.

“Don’t say that it’s your job or that you’re trained for this,” the singer interrupted, frowning. “I don’t want to hear platitudes, Alex. I want to hear the truth.”

The bodyguard nodded and blew out a long breath. “This guy is an obsessive narcissist. He’s organized and well-funded, probably between the ages of thirty and forty-five. He’s technologically savvy enough to be able to find and hack your personal email account. He managed to deliver packages and bouquets of flowers so anonymously that the police haven’t been able to track him. He’s bouncing around VPNs, IP addresses and leaving false trails so that the police can’t track him through your social media accounts.. but even if he could be tracked, he probably wouldn’t stop leaving you messages. He wants you to know that he’s still here and his action are saying that he wants you to be with him or be with no one… ever. He’s taunting the investigators on your case. He could be anywhere, and we have no idea where. He’s smart and driven and he’s not going to stop until he’s caught.”

“How do you know all that?” Kara asked.

“I worked as a profiler for the FBI. I’ve seen the evidence and this guy is very dangerous.” Alex cupped the singer’s face between her hands, stroking her thumbs across her cheekbones to erase her tears. “I get that you don’t want to hear platitudes, but it really is true. I AM trained for this and it IS my job to keep you safe.”

Kara nodded and sniffled softly. “Alex, will you stay with me tonight? I don’t think I can sleep alone.”

“Yeah,” Alex replied. “Yeah, of course. Let me just go shut off the lights in my room.”

While the bodyguard was gone, Kara turned off her keyboard and pulled back the bedcovers. She used the bathroom, brushed her teeth and then slipped under the sheets, setting her glasses on the nightstand and then sighing softly as she let her head sink into the soft pillow. Alex returned moments later, gun in hand and checking its safety. She set it on the nightstand, then slid into the bed to join her friend and turn off the lights.

The room was lit only by the light coming through the large windows but Kara’s blue eyes, pale in the moonlight and slightly unfocused from the alcohol, seemed almost ethereal. And then Alex realized she was crying again. “Hey, c’mere,” she whispered, opening her arms and smiling as the singer shifted closer to snuggle against her. “Everything’s gonna be ok, I promise.” Kara nodded against her neck and, minutes later, was asleep.

Xx

Something woke Alex up and she blinked as she tried to figure out where she was. Then she realized exactly where she was and exactly what had woken her up. She was in Kara’s bed with the blonde wrapped around her. Kara’s arm was thrown over her stomach and her hand had found the bare skin over Alex’s ribs under her shirt at some point during the night. The blonde was still deeply asleep, but the faint twitching of her fingers had brought Alex back to wakefulness… and now she had to pee. Bad.

Moving as slowly as her bladder would allow, the bodyguard lifted Kara’s arm, trying not to wake her but the blonde protested softly in her sleep and tightened her grip at the same time as nuzzling Alex’s breast through her shirt. The brunette closed her eyes for a moment and let out a breath. Then she stroked Kara’s hair gently. “Kara, Sweetheart, I need you to let me go,” she said softly, chuckling at the unhappy frown on her friend’s face as she woke up.

“Nooo,” Kara replied, tightening her grip even further but then, as she came to full wakefulness, she realized that her hand was on bare skin and she drew back as if she’d been burned. “Shit, Alex, I’m sorry,” she said, face flushing.

“It’s ok,” the bodyguard called back as she bounded into the bathroom and pushed the door shut.

A moment later, Kara heard the toilet flush, followed by the sink running and then Alex appeared again, walking at a more dignified pace. She got back into bed and turned onto her side, propping her head on her hand to gaze at her friend. “Sleep ok?” she asked.

“Mmmm, best sleep I’ve had in ages,” Kara replied, stretching lazily. “Is it still early?”

“It’s almost twelve,” Alex chuckled. “Do you want to sleep some more or come for a picnic brunch on the beach and a swim?”

“Ooohh, the second one,” Kara grinned. “Give me ten minutes to get cleaned up and then we can go hunt and gather.”

“I’ll meet you in the living room,” the bodyguard replied, then slid back out of bed and headed for her bedroom, taking her gun with her. “Don’t forget your bathing suit!”

Xx

“Here you go,” Alex said, holding out a bottle of sunscreen to her friend, who was lying on her stomach on her towel. They’d had a great lunch on the beach, followed by a swim and now they were taking in the rays, lying on their towels.

Kara chuckled as she turned her face to her bodyguard, squinting in the bright sun. “What do you want me to do with that?”

“Wear it?” Alex suggested with a confused frown.

“I’m not Stretch Armstrong,” the singer teased. “I can’t reach back there, Alex.”

“Huh? Oh…” the brunette swallowed. “Right.” She got onto her knees and shimmied closer to Kara before pausing with the bottle in her hand. “Uh… how do you feel about tan lines?” she asked.

“Hate ‘em,” the singer replied. “Why?” Then she breathed out a sigh as she felt her bikini top loosen. “Oh.”

Alex snickered softly as she squirted some of the cream into her palm and rubbed her hands together. “This might be a bit chilly,” she said as she leaned forward and ran her hands down Kara’s back.

The singer shivered for a moment and then relaxed, closing her eyes as Alex took her time rubbing the lotion into every inch of her back and shoulders. She lifted Kara’s hair to get her neck and then moved down to coat the back of her legs all the way up to just under her butt cheeks. “All done,” she said, voice slightly husky as she moved back and set the bottle next to her friend.

“Thanks,” Kara replied. Then she sat up, holding her open bikini against her chest. “Would you do me up again?”

Alex cleared her throat softly. “It’s ok if you want to avoid tan lines,” she said. “We’re alone out here.”

“Are you sure?” Kara asked slowly.

The bodyguard shrugged. “You’d need a hefty telephoto lens to get a photo of you.”

“No, I mean, are YOU sure,” Kara replied, lowering her eyes.

“Oh…” Alex nodded. “Kara, this is your vacation. Do whatever you want to do. It’s ok with me.”

The singer nodded and slowly moved the bikini top away from her chest to set it on the towel beside her. Alex averted her eyes and gazed out over the ocean as Kara applied sunscreen to the front of her body and then lay back down on her stomach, letting the sun warm her back again.

“That song you were singing last night,” the bodyguard asked. “Does it have a title yet?”

Yeah,” Kara replied. “I think it’s going to be _Aflame_.

“That’s pretty,” Alex said with a smile.

“It came to me last night at dinner when the sun was setting. It kinda looked like it was setting the ocean aflame.” Then she took a breath and sang the chorus.

“That look in your eyes, it sets my heart aflame,  
Something something something… when you speak my name,  
The love in your smile tells me this ain’t a game,  
Your touch on my skin, sets my body aflame.”

Kara grinned and shook her head. “As you can hear, it’s totally a work in progress and I’ll probably rewrite the lyrics twenty times before I’m done but I think the melody is pretty good. It’ll be a good slow dancin’ song. I’m thinking acoustic guitar for the verses and electric for the chorus with some backing vocals. Maybe give it an eighties rock vibe?”

“It’s beautiful, Kara,” Alex replied. “But I kinda feel like it should be just your voice and your guitar though.”

“Really?” the singer replied, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah,” the brunette nodded with a little shrug. “That’s what I would want as a fan. It would be a perfect song to perform as a quiet moment. Just you and your guitar on a stool at the front of the stage. An intimate moment for the audience to sing along with you. Maybe have the lyrics scrolling on the jumbo screen behind you.”

“Huh,” Kara said with a little purse of her lips. “I really like that idea. I’ll think about it.” She sighed then. “I think it’s going to be the first song for my new album. I’m getting back in the studio after these last two dates.”

“How many albums will this be?”

Kara rolled over onto her back and relaxed again. Alex didn’t bother averting her eyes this time. Instead, she made herself acknowledge her genuine attraction to her client as her eyes roamed over her. But that was just it, wasn’t it? Kara had stopped being just a client a long time ago and Alex didn’t regret a single second of the time they’d spent together.

She wasn’t Frank Farmer and her client wasn’t Rachel Marron. Alex knew that caring about Kara would make her a better bodyguard for the singer, not worse. She knew she’d lay down her life for this woman.

“… but I’m not going to write them all…” Kara paused. “Alex, are you ok? Did you leave me there for a second?”

“I’m sorry,” the brunette replied with a sheepish smile. “Got distracted.”

Kara hitched herself up on one elbow and looked down at her own semi-naked body. “Alex Danvers, were you checking me out?”

“No!”

“Really?”

“Uh… maybe?” Alex groaned and pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, Kara.”

“Hey,” the singer said softly, a small smile on her lips. “It’s ok to not be totally straight, you know. The kids are calling it queer these days, I believe.”

“You’re not helping,” the brunette replied, her voice muffled behind her hands. “I already know I’m bisexual. I’ve been bisexual all my life, funnily enough. And, even though I’ve only been with one woman and even that was brief.” She moved her hands away from her eyes and met Kara’s. “Doesn’t mean I don’t like the view.”

“Ohh,” the blonde replied, laughing softly and blushing a little. “Right.”

Xx

It was late in the afternoon when they packed up and headed back to the cabana. Kara had mercifully wrapped herself up in her towel and was heading in to take a shower when there was a light tap at the front door. Alex went to answer it and she looked through the peephole, surprised to find the resort’s hospitality agent waiting, rocking a little on her heels. She was holding something the bodyguard couldn’t make out, so she opened the door with a smile. “Hi Tammy.”

“Miss Danvers, hope you’re enjoying your stay. I just wanted to drop this off. It arrived for Miss McKenzie earlier. I’ve been watching out for you guys to come…” She stopped as she registered the look on Alex’s face. “What’s…”

“Tammy, slowly put the box down and step back, ok?”

The young woman frowned. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“No one is supposed to know that Mac is here, Tammy. Now please, slowly put the box down and step back.”

Alex was trembling and she squeezed her hands into fists to steady them as the young woman did as she was asked. The bodyguard slowly got down on her hands and knees to examine the box without touching it, feeling very exposed in just her bathing suit. It was long and narrow, and addressed to Kara McKenzie at the resort’s name but there was no room number or return address. She used her nail to score the thin tape along its length. Then she slowly eased the cardboard flaps open to examine the contents. After a moment, she let out a breath and looked up at Tammy. “It’s ok,” she said, picking the box up and getting to her feet. “I’m sorry I worried you. Do me a favor though? If any more deliveries come for Mac, call me and let me know. Don’t bring them here, ok?”

“I understand, Miss Danvers,” the young woman replied before scurrying away back toward the main building.

“Fuck,” Alex swore softly, running her hand over her sweaty face. “I’m going to kill you, Harry.”

She went back inside and closed the door behind her, heading straight to Kara’s room to tap on her door. “Hey Kara, you decent?”

“Not at all,” the singer responded playfully. “But I’m wearing a robe, so you can come in.”

Alex pushed the doors open and crossed the room to where her friend was sitting at her dressing table, running a brush through her hair. She set the box in front of the singer and patted it. “It’s for you from Harry,” she said. “Now I have to go call him and rip him a new one for scaring the shit outta me.”

“Awww…” Kara replied sympathetically. She opened the box to find three red roses and an envelope with a ribbon tied around it. There was also a folded note that, when she opened it, had just four words written on it. “Congratulations, Kid, love Harry,” she murmured and slid the ribbon off the envelope to pull out the card inside. Then she suddenly got to her feet, hand pressed against her mouth. “HOLY SHIT!!”

“Kara, what?!” Alex asked coming back to stand next to her. “What is it?”

“I’ve been nominated for best female artist at the CMAs this year!”

“What? Seriously?” the bodyguard took the card to read it herself and then she set it on the table, picked Kara up by the waist and spun her around. “That’s AMAZING!!!! Congratulations!!!”

The singer was giggling uncontrollably, and she wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck to hug her as she set her back on the floor. They gazed at each other, grinning and breathless, for a long moment. And then Kara’s face grew serious and her hand slid around to cup Alex’s cheek and caress it gently. “Thanks,” she murmured.

“I’m so fucking proud of you,” the bodyguard murmured, pressing their foreheads together. “You deserve to win.”

The blonde nodded but then she closed her eyes and took a breath to steel herself. “Alex?”

“Mmm?”

“Can we stop dancing around this thing I know we both feel? For God’s sake, kiss me.”

Alex only hesitated a moment to look into Kara’s eyes before she captured her lips in a sizzling kiss, tightening her arms around Kara’s waist and pulling them tightly together. They kissed hungrily like two people who’d been starving for longer than they could remember, tongues dueling, and little moans and gasping breaths breaking the otherwise stillness of the room.

Kara felt Alex beginning to ease back and she looked at her, eyes pleading. “Please,” she whispered against the bodyguard’s lips. “Don’t stop.”

“Kara,” Alex moaned. “Are you sure?”

The blonde pulled open the belt of her robe and let it fall apart. She was naked underneath and she took the brunette’s hand and placed it on her bare breast. “Please…”

Alex whimpered and cupped both of the singer’s breasts, pushing her back against one of the bedposts and easing her bare thigh between Kara’s legs to part them. She almost couldn’t believe how wet the blonde already was and she took Kara’s slender wrists in one hand and held them over her head as she swiftly entered her with two fingers and captured one of her breasts in her mouth to tongue her nipple.

The singer cried out, her head tilting back and her hips thrusting forward as she chased Alex’s fingers, trying to force a faster rhythm. Her abs rippled under her skin and Alex almost came right then and there from the sight. “You are so fucking sexy,” she growled as she pumped harder and faster, sinking her teeth into the apex of the blonde’s neck and shoulder as she let her wrists go and grabbed her breast, teasing its nipple with her thumb. Kara’s hands immediately laced into her hair and they kissed hungrily again as the bed rocked against the wall with the force of their lovemaking.

The blonde felt her knees beginning to fail her and, as she began to sink, she reached above her head and grabbed the post. Alex wrapped her arm around her waist and held her tightly, finding her swollen clit and circling it with her thumb. Kara’s hips slammed forward and she cried out loudly as she came hard, scratching her nails up Alex’s back between her shoulder blades. Her knees unlocked and the brunette carried them both to the floor to lie together in a trembling, panting, sweaty tangle of limbs.

Kara groaned, one arm thrown across her eyes and her other hand clenched into the thick rug beneath her as she fought to catch her breath. “Oh my God,” the singer breathed, chest heaving as she slowly caught her breath. “That was fucking amazing.”

Alex chuckled softly, leaning in to kiss her breast and then her lips. “You’re gonna need another shower,” she teased, but Kara just rolled over and shed herself of her robe completely. Then she slowly eased the straps of the brunette’s bathing suit down, exposing her breasts and exploring them with open mouthed kisses and tongue.

“Later…” she said as she peeled the material down and completely off over Alex’s feet. Then she kissed her way down the brunette’s torso. “Mmmm, your body is perfection.” The bodyguard smelled of sand and sea mixed with the heady scent of arousal and Kara hummed as she lay between her thighs and nuzzled the short, soft curls at their apex with her nose. She reached up one hand to caress Alex’s breasts, then parted her labia and went down on her, smiling a little as the bodyguard’s fingers twisted into her hair and she moaned loudly.

Kara kissed and licked her intimately, suckling softly at the erect bundle of nerves as she pushed two fingers inside her. She curled them against Alex’s g-spot and softly rubbed. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, looking up into brown eyes heavy-lidded with passion, and then went back to the bodyguard’s center, exploring thoroughly with her lips and tongue. The gentle motions pushed Alex closer and closer to the edge, and her thighs tightened around Kara’s head as a nibble of teeth and stroke of fingers against just the right spot triggered an intense orgasm that pulsed through the bodyguard’s very being, forcing clenching contractions inside her and a long cry to rip from her throat as her body convulsed over and over and then slowly relaxed.

Flattening her hands onto Alex’s stomach, Kara rested her chin on them and gazed up at her lover with an almost shy smile. The bodyguard swiped the back of her hand across her eyes and sniffled, then laughed softly. “Sorry.”

Kara slid up to kiss her gently on the lips. “Don’t ever apologize for being moved by an orgasm. It was pretty intense, huh.” Alex nodded and turned onto her side to press herself against her lover. Kara’s arms immediately closed around her, snuggling her close. “Good, that’s what I was going for.”

Alex laughed and shook her head. “Pleased with ourself, are we?”

The blonde grinned and gently caressed up and down Alex’s back, smoothing her fingertips over the scratches she’d left there. “Sure am… “ she drawled softly. “And so should you. I haven’t felt this relaxed in months.”

Xx

“You know, we should probably get dinner at some point,” Alex said softly as she traced the outline of Kara’s abs with her fingertips. They were cuddled together in the center of Kara’s bed and, though reluctant to move, the bodyguard’s rumbling stomach told her she needed sustenance.

“Mmmm...” the singer agreed on a long breath, eyes closed as she enjoyed being touched. “Guess I should take that shower, huh?”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Join me?” Kara asked.

Alex lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “If we share that shower, you know we’ll never get out of here.”

The singer grinned. “I know. Alright. I’ll meet you in the living room in thirty.”

True to their word, they both wandered back into the main cabana a while later. Kara had a thoughtful look on her face as she took a seat on the sofa and crossed her legs. “Alex, can we talk for a minute before we go?”

“Sure,” the bodyguard replied with a smile, taking a seat next to her.

The singer blew out a long breath and took her lover’s hand. “You’ve been traveling with me… and protecting me… for a while now,” she began. “And you’ve seen how crazy some people can get around me.” Alex nodded. “But dating me is totally different, Alex.” She took a breath and steeled herself. “If this is just sex... I… I get it… but we probably shouldn’t...” She couldn’t get the rest of the words out and she swallowed hard.

“Kara...” The bodyguard shook her head. “This isn’t just sex for me.” She leaned in and kissed the blonde gently on the lips. “It really isn’t.”

Kara blew out a relieved breath. “Good, me neither… Jesus,” she ran a trembling hand across her face. “I have no idea what I was going to do if you’d said it was.” Then her face turned serious again. “Having said that, we should probably talk about how we want to be seen in public. If you want to remain publicly as just my bodyguard, we can do that. I want you to be comfortable.”

Alex thought about that for a long moment. Then she chuckled. “Maybe if your fans knew you were with me, it would stop some of the unwanted attention I have to constantly divert from you when we’re travelling.”

Kara grinned. “Ok... so we’re doing this publicly? For real?”

Alex got up, pulling the singer up with her, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her hands on her denim-covered butt. “We’re doing it,” she replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stalker is being as asshole... and Alex has a revelation.

Alex and Kara strolled hand-in-hand along a busy street looking for somewhere for dinner. They’d decided to leave the resort, so Kara had added a baseball cap and Aviators to her jeans and tank top outfit. She wasn’t exactly hiding but Alex had asked her to be cautious. Her stalker was still out there.

Now, it was getting late, the sun fully setting, so they chose a Mexican restaurant and asked to sit on the outside patio, where there were fewer tables.

Kara took off her cap and hung her sunglasses from the front of her shirt as she settled back into the comfortable chair. “I meant to tell you earlier, but I was too busy spitting my brains out of my ears with terror,” she said softly. “You look gorgeous.”

Alex smiled. “Thanks,” she replied. “But, Kara, did you really think I was going to say...”

“No,” the singer interrupted with a sigh. “But being in a relationship with me might not be easy and I wanted to give you a way out... in case you had second thoughts in the shower. I dunno about you, but I make a lot of decisions in the shower.”

“You know what, Honey?” the bodyguard chuckled.

“What?”

“You are the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Why would I have second thoughts about entering into something special with you?”

A light blush colored Kara’s cheeks as Alex took her hand and brought it to her lips to kiss it tenderly. “I feel the same way about you,” the singer replied. Just then a camera flash went off, making Kara jump and she looked around in surprise. A little boy and his parents, a couple of tables over, were grinning at her and she chuckled as she lifted her hand in greeting. “I think I’ve been made,” she sighed. The boy was holding a polaroid camera and he held up the photograph as a trophy. “’Scuse me.”

To Alex’s surprise, Kara got up and approached the family. “Hey there, my name’s Kara McKenzie but I think you know that already.” she said with a smile. “Can I see that photograph please?”

“Sure!” the kid turned it around to show it to her and Kara nodded approvingly as she looked at it. He’d actually done a pretty great job of capturing the moment she’d shared with Alex.

“Can I buy it from you for fifty bucks? I’ll also take a selfie with you and sign it.”

The boy looked at his parents and his mother frowned. “Don’t want it getting onto the internet?” she questioned, crossing her arms.

Kara shrugged. “Actually, I just wanted a picture of my girl and me and this one is really sweet.”

The mother sat back in her chair in surprise and then nodded. “Ok, sure.”

“Cool, thanks.” Kara pulled out her wallet and dropped a fifty on the table. Then she crouched next to the kid and took a selfie with him, holding her fingers up in a peace sign with a big smile on her face. The camera flashed and a couple of moments later, the photo emerged. Kara took it, flapping it in the air before flipping it over and accepting a pen from the boy’s father. “What’s your name, Sweetie?” she asked.

“Paul,” the boy replied shyly.

“Ok, Paul,” the singer winked. She wrote on the photograph, murmuring to herself. “To my friend Paul, the budding photographer. Love from...” She signed with her usual flourish and drew her trademark flower over the i in her last name. Then she lifted herself to her feet and ruffled his hair. “Put that money in your college fund, Buddy,” she said teasingly.

“Did you go to college, Mac?” Paul asked.

“Sure did,” Kara replied with a wink. “I went to a school in New York City called Juilliard for people who want to sing or act or dance when they grow up. It’s a pretty great school and if you work hard, you might end up there, or somewhere like it. Thanks, Y’All.” With a final wave, she brought the photograph back to Alex and dropped it on the table. “It’s a really great photo.”

Alex examined it and smiled, loving it as much as Kara had. She took her phone out, scanned it with her Lens app and saved it as her home screen. “Sweet.”

“So, where were we?” the singer said.

“You were saying that you feel the same way about me…” Alex prompted.

“Right!” the blonde nodded. “And I do. You’re important to me Alex. I really like you.”

“Me too,” the bodyguard replied.

The food was great, and they indulged in a few shots of tequila before Kara yawned and then clapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she said. “Guess I’m a little tired.”

“Want to head back and relax?” Alex asked. “I’m thinking you, me, wine, bed and TV?”

“Mmmm… sounds like heaven,” the singer agreed. She grabbed the server’s attention and asked for the check. “Oh hey,” she added, noticing that her nearby fans looked like they were wrapping up too. “The family at that table over there. Put whatever they got on my check too.”

The server looked surprised for a moment but nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Kara looked casually back at Alex, but her eyebrows lifted as she saw the expression on the bodyguard’s face. “Something wrong?”

“On the contrary,” Alex replied. “You buy people meals; you visit sick kids in hospitals all over the world; you always stop for autographs and pictures… even if you’re in a hurry. You’re the most generous person I’ve ever known.”

“Oh,” Kara chuckled. “Don’t be giving me a big head now. It’s just that my mama always told me to give back whenever I can. I’ve worked hard but I’m also lucky to have everything I do. Pay it forward, right?”

The bodyguard was about to answer when the restaurant manager approached them, bowing respectfully. “Señorita McKenzie,” he said. “It would be my great honor if you would take a photograph with me and my staff.” He point inside the restaurant. “For our wall of fame, si?”

“¡Por supuesto, sería un placer!” the singer replied enthusiastically. “Come on, Alex.”

“Uh… I’m not the star here,” the bodyguard replied with a little laugh.

The smile her girlfriend offered her was heart-melting as she took her hand. “You’re MY star.” They headed back into the restaurant and after a few moments of organization, the photo was taken. But Kara suddenly spotted a guitar leaning against the wall. “May I?” she said pointing at it spontaneously. “I’d love to play something for the folks here.”

“Si, Señorita,” the manager replied with a smile. Then he clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Señoras y Caballeros, may I introduce Señorita Kara McKenzie.”

A round of applause went around the room as Kara grabbed the guitar and sat down on a chair, knee raised as she strummed the instrument a few times, before tuning it to her liking. Then she started to play. She strummed the opening bars in a distinctly Spanish flavor, then paused before she continued, rapidly picking her nails over the strings as she created a flamenco sounding rhythm. Then she began to sing in flawless Spanish.

The restaurant was deathly silent except for Kara and her music and Alex just watched, totally taken with the beauty of her lover as she stood and began to walk among the tables. She allowed the customers to photograph and video her, smiling as she just did what she loved. Then as she finished the song and the last strains of music floated through the restaurant, the patrons stood and applauded her with whistles and whoops, making her grin and duck her head a little. “Thanks, Folks! One more…?”

Across the room, Alex leaned against the wall and smiled to herself. Then Kara’s blue eyes sought her out and the singer shrugged a little sheepishly before returning to her guitar and starting to play again. Alex blew out a long breath as her heart beat faster in her chest.

_I think I’m in love with this woman._

Xx

It was after midnight by the time they got back to the cabana and Alex hummed softly as Kara walked behind her, arms around her and nibbling her neck with a little growl as they crossed the living area.

“Tonight was amazing,” the singer said, grinning happily. “Did you see those little kids dancing when I was playing? Totally adorable.”

“YOU are totally amazing,” Alex shot back, turning in Kara’s arms to kiss her. “I can’t believe you just put on an impromptu performance like that.”

“Took me back to my roots,” the singer said, kissing Alex’s forehead. “That’s what I did in Nashville after I graduated. Singing and playing in restaurants and bars.”

“Is that how you learned to speak Spanish?”

Kara chuckled softly. “Well, I know some Spanish songs from those days but, technically no, that was actually Rosetta Stone. I used to spend long hours on tour buses. It was a good opportunity to brush up on my language skills.”

“That’s cool,” Alex replied, caressing her girlfriends butt and then patting it. “Gonna just get changed and brush my teeth.”

“Me too. Come on in when you’re done. I want to snuggle with you.”

They parted ways and headed for their rooms. Alex opened her suitcase and was pulling out a fresh pair of sleep shorts when a sudden cry made her drop everything, pull her gun and race across the cabana to burst into Kara’s room. The singer was standing with her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and terrified and Alex let out a gasp of shock as her own eyes moved across the windows.

Taped to the glass from the outside were photographs, a hundred or more, of herself and Kara from the last couple of days. There were pictures of them laughing together, walking together, chatting, from the dinner their first night and walking on the beach. There were pictures of them swimming and sunbathing, of Kara, topless and applying sunscreen to her breasts and to Alex’s horror and disgust, pictures of them naked in bed together.

“Son of a bitch,” she growled, as she holstered her weapon. Then she went to the phone on the nightstand and dialed for reception. “This is Alex Danvers, we’ve had an intruder. Call the police please and I need to see all the security footage from around Miss McKenzie’s cabana tonight. I also need another room for Miss McKenzie and me to stay in for the next few days…. Yeah… thanks.” She hung up the phone and perched her hands on her hips, shaking her head.

“We can’t take them down, can we, not even the private ones.” Kara started to cry, and she sat on the bed, hands covering her face. Alex sat next to her and wrapped her up in her arms, kissing her head and rocking her gently. “I’m sorry, Kara,” she said. “I’m so sorry but they’re evidence. We can’t touch anything.”

Xx

It was after five and the first strains of sun were beginning to light the sky when Alex finally joined Kara in bed. She tried not to disturb her sleeping lover, but Kara’s eyes blinked open and she smiled a little. “Hey.”

“Sorry, Honey,” Alex said very softly. “Go back to sleep.”

“How did things go with the police?” Kara had given her statement earlier in the night and then Alex had escorted her to their room before going back to join the officers in a private office. CSI had been through the cabana, both inside and outside and, as Alex expected, found no fingerprints, nor anything else to suggest anyone had ever been there with the exception of the photos. They had carefully photographed the windows and then taken the photos down to bag as evidence.

“They’re taking it seriously,” Alex replied, turning onto her side to face her sleepy lover. “And they’ve posted an officer outside the door. I promise you’re safe.”

“I know I am,” Kara replied with a small smile. “You’re here.” Then she looked down and shook her head a little. “I want to go home, Alex. He’s proven he can find me wherever I am, so I’d rather be home if he’s going to come after me.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right,” the bodyguard sighed. “Plus, I have backup there if…” she trailed off and smiled. “Anyway, let’s call Eve in the morning and get her to schedule a flight back to Nashville.”

Alex wrapped Kara up in her arms and kissed her head. “Go back to sleep now, ok?”

“Ok,” the singer replied. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fruity scent of the bodyguard’s shampoo and only minutes later, her breathing evened out into sleep.

Alex, on the other hand, lay awake worrying. So far, the stalker hadn’t done anything to physically harm Kara, but he was definitely stepping up his game.

And she had no idea what to expect next.

Xx

Eve had managed to get Kara and Alex first class seats on a commercial jet the next afternoon and after a long flight with a stopover in Denver, they touched down in Nashville. Kara was glad to be home and she sighed with relief as she slid into the back of her usual car and leaned against Alex who’d quickly joined her.

“Step on it, Mike,” the bodyguard said to the driver and he nodded and did just that.

Kara’s phone suddenly rang, making her jump and she pulled it out of her pocket to see Harry’s name on the screen.

“Hey, Harry,” she said tiredly. “We just got into Nashville.”

“Good to hear that, Honey,” the man replied. “Listen, I know you’ve been out of pocket for the last twelve hours, so I wanted to give you a heads up.”

“About what?” the singer asked.

“The media has gotten wind of…” He cleared his throat gently. “… the fact that you and Alex took a vacation together. They’re pretty much all speculating about a relationship between the two of you at this point, so be ready for questions.”

“Harry, they’re right,” Kara replied gently. “Alex and I are…” She looked at her lover who smiled and nodded. “Together.”

There was silence for a moment and then the man sighed. “Put Alex on the line.”

Kara winced and held out the phone to her lover. “He wants to talk to you.”

Alex accepted the device and took a deep breath. “Hey, Harry.”

“Don’t you hey Harry me,” the manager growled. “If you hurt even one string of that sweet woman’s heart, I will end you. Do you understand?”

The bodyguard swallowed. “Yes, Sir,” she replied. “I understand.”

“Good, put Kara back on.”

Alex handed the phone back and a moment later, Kara winced again. “Yes, Sir. I understand.”

Xx

Back at the house, Kara got out of the SUV and paused, looking at Alex as she slid out and stretched her back out. Then she left a lingering kiss on the bodyguard’s lips. “I need some time alone to think through things. I’ll see you later, ok?” she said.

“Sure,” Alex replied with a smile, caressing the blonde’s cheek with her knuckles.

Kara nodded and went into the house, heading immediately for her bedroom where she changed into shorts and a sports bra and tied up her hair. Then she went to her private gym and turned on heavy metal music as loud as the stereo system would go. There was a heavy bag hanging from the ceiling and she eyed it as she wrapped her feet and then her hands.

Kara spent a few minutes stretching to warm up her muscles and then she went to town on the bag, interchanging punches and kicks. Then she worked on her leg sweep, intended to take an assailant’s legs out from under them, until she almost collapsed and ended up sitting on the floor, exhausted and soaked with sweat. Her shoulders, thighs and calves were burning, but it was a clean ache, born of righteous anger. “Fuck you,” she muttered as she unwrapped her feet and hands. “You are NOT going to win, whoever the hell you are. Motherfucker, I won’t let you.”

She got to her feet, wincing and rotating her shoulders as she grabbed a towel and dried off. Then, draping the rough material around her neck, she headed back to her bedroom to take a shower.

Back in her room, Alex unpacked her suitcase and then sat down to call the lead detective on Kara’s stalking case. She quickly filled him in on what had happened in Hawaii and passed on the names of the officers she’d worked with.

“Miss Danvers,” Detective McNeill said. “I’m starting to think that we need to get the F.B.I. involved. This guy has crossed state lines to harass Mac now and the fact that he got those photos means that he’s using sophisticated surveillance technology. He isn’t just a pap with a zoom lens.”

“I hear you,” Alex replied. “Go ahead and call them. Mac is going back to the east coast next week to finish up her tour with dates in North and South Carolina, but we’ll be back the following week and I can get them set up here. Thanks, Detective.”

“Yes, Ma’am,’ the man replied. “I’ll keep you in the loop.”

Alex hung up and set her cell phone on the nightstand as she toed off her shoes. Then she changed into a t-shirt and sleep shorts and lay on the bed to read over the police report copy she’d brought back from Hawaii. But after a while, her eyes grew heavy and she eased into sleep, the file fanned open on her chest.

Kara, in her room, was drying her hair and thinking about what had happened between herself and Alex. The warm feeling in her chest and fluttering of her stomach made her grin to herself. Things had happened quickly between them in Hawaii but yet, it seemed like she’d wanted Alex forever. They’d known each other for five months now and the slow burn of attraction between them had made their being together almost inevitable.

After dressing in jeans and a plaid shirt, Kara padded barefoot along the corridor to her studio and went inside to grab her guitar and plectrum. Then she sat in front of her recording rig, adjusted the mic just so, and began the recording. She played the introduction of her new song, closed her eyes and sang the lyrics she’d begun to sort out in her mind during the long flight home. She thought about Alex and the words just flowed out of her.

As the final strum echoed away, Kara turned off her recorder, sighed softly and rested her chin on the top edge of her guitar. “Well, it’s a start,” she chuckled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something terrible happens, Alex and Kara have their first fight…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, today, my world crumbled a little more. Melissa announced that season 6 will be the last of Supergirl. I’m heartbroken, devastated, but proud to be a fan. Hugs to you all. I'm going to get drunk.

Alex had napped too long and she was feeling somewhat grumpy when she woke up, but she gathered the papers back into the police file and went to take a shower. The hot water revived her a lot though and, when she finished dressing, went in search of the estate's security manager.

“John?” she said as she tapped on his door and stuck her head inside.

“Hey, Alex,” the man replied with a smile. “What’s up?”

“I need to talk to you about a somewhat… sensitive subject.” The bodyguard took a seat in his guest chair and he nodded as he leaned back and linked his hands behind his head.

“Shoot.”

“So,” Alex took a breath and crossed her legs. “Mac and I have become... very close... over the last week. You’re going to be seeing evidence of that on the security cameras from now on, so I thought it only fair to give you a heads up.”

John’s salt and pepper eyebrows lifted but he just shrugged. “Yours and Mac’s personal business is your own. I’m just here to keep folks out who shouldn’t be here.”

“Ok,” the brunette nodded as she got up. “We’re on the same page, John. Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” he drawled as he watched her leave the room and close the door behind her. Then he leaned on the desk on his forearms, his face darkening. “’Sides, you ain’t gonna be a worry for me for too much longer, noway, Bitch.”

Xx 

Alex was sitting at her bedroom workspace, reading through the plans for the last two dates of Kara’s tour the following week. It was nearly nine and she hadn’t seen Kara since they’d arrived home from the airport. She sheepishly admitted to herself that she missed the blonde singer and then jumped a little as a light tap sounded at her door. Alex left her desk to open it and found the woman of her dreams leaning against the wall facing the portal with her arms folded and a matching sheepish grin on her face.

“Is it ridiculous that, after only four hours, I miss you?” she asked quietly.

The bodyguard laughed softly. “Well, if it is, then I’m ridiculous too. C’mon in.”

Kara came into the room and looked around. “I haven’t been in here much since I bought this house,” she said. “I like it. It has a nice view. Sooo... whatcha doin’?”

“Working,” Alex shrugged. “Going over stuff for next week. How do you feel about finishing up the tour?”

“Sad and glad at the same time,” the singer replied, sitting on the bed as Alex sat back at her desk. “I love being on stage and I’ll miss that. But it also means I get a chance to start recording my new album. I have three songs written in addition to _Aflame_.”

“Is that why you performed at the restaurant the other night?” Alex asked with a smile. “You missed being on stage?”

Kara blushed a little and looked down at her toes. “Well... maybe a little,” she replied. “But I was also in a great mood and felt like singing.”

“So, what did you get up to this afternoon?” Alex asked, folding her hands on her stomach and kicking out her legs.

Kara got up and went to her, smiling as she sat in her girlfriend’s lap, straddling her thighs to face her and wrap her arms around her neck. “Weeeeellll, I punched and kicked the shit out of a heavy bag for about an hour and tried to perfect the leg sweep that I’ve been working on for a while. Then I took a shower and draft-recorded _Aflame_.”

Oh yeah?” the bodyguard replied, holding the blonde by the waist and caressing her sides. “That’s a tough move to master. I struggled with that during combat training. Make a lot of progress on the song?”

“Yeah, I found inspiration,” Kara replied with a tender smile. “It’s not finished but I’m happy so far.”

“Good,” Alex replied softly. “Kara… I know the last few days have been tough…”

Kara’s eyebrows lifted as she placed her finger against her lover’s lips. “Alex... the last few days, despite their challenges, have been amazing. I got to spend them with you.”

The bodyguard sighed and pressed her forehead against the blonde’s. “You’re such a romantic,” she whispered as she barely brushed their lips together. Then she slowly undid the buttons of Kara’s shirt, easing it apart to kiss the hollow of her throat and down her chest, and smiling as she saw that the singer wasn’t wearing a bra.

The blonde gasped as Alex covered her breasts with her hands, squeezing her nipples lightly between her fingers as she took Kara’s bottom lip between her teeth and tugged gently. “I really missed you,” she whispered, licking teasingly at it and chuckling a little as Kara chased her. Their kiss was slow and wet, tongues sweeping and searching. Alex’s hands moved from Kara’s breasts to her ass and she pulled her closer as she kissed down her neck and suckled on her pulse point. The singer moaned and Alex’s hand threaded into her hair to gently ease her head back and expose more of her neck. The kisses turned into nibbles and then into soft bites and Kara felt a flood of moisture between her thighs that made her groan out in pleasure.

Just then, a hard knock at Alex’s bedroom door tore them from their intimate moment and Alex swore under her breath, making Kara laugh softly and reluctantly get up, closing the buttons on her shirt. “There’d better be a fucking emergency,” the bodyguard muttered as she got up and opened the door. “What? What is it?”

“Alex, you might want to get dressed.” It was one of John’s deputies. “There’s something you need to see,” he said, glancing nervously at Kara, who was leaning back against the desk on her hands. He was wringing his fingers awkwardly and the bodyguard knew that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Xx

Kara was inconsolable. She was bent over, hand pressed against the pain in her chest, and sobbing great, heaving tears. Alex didn’t know what to do. She tried to hug her, but Kara pulled away and roared at the top of her lungs, her hands fisted at her sides. Tears welled in Alex’s eyes as she watched her lover walk away from the stable and away from the mutilated body of her beloved horse, Tanner. The black stallion had been Kara’s companion since she was a teenager. He’d been there for her when she’d needed him; When she hadn’t had anyone else to talk to and even though she’d retired him, she visited him whenever she could and exercised him on a rope, clucking affectionately to him. Alex knew what Tanner meant to her.

The stalker had left a message for Mac, written in blood on the stable door.

_DUMP HER._

She wiped her eyes and told the security team to sweep the area. Then she called Detective McNeil to report the escalation of violence and was heading back toward the house when she suddenly gasped and took off sprinting, trying to catch Kara’s Grand Cherokee as she floored it out of the garage and down the driveway toward the gate. “KARA! WAIT! Shit! SHIT!” she yelled as she realized she wasn’t going to make it. The gates opened and the singer pulled out onto the street and away.

Alex skidded to a stop, chest heaving. She was torn. She understood that Kara had to just get away, but she was also scared that the star was alone with no protection. So, she did what she hoped she’d never have to, and pulled out her phone to track the vehicle. Kara was speeding. She could tell from how fast the dot was moving on the map and she sighed unhappily. The singer was heading toward the city and Alex had a feeling that she knew where Kara was going.

She jogged back to the garage and grabbed her keys, leather jacket and helmet and moments later, she was on the road on her Ducati, heading toward the city right behind her girlfriend. It was after ten now and, as she navigated Nashville’s busy streets, she worried that Kara might not be ok. She found the singer’s truck in a parking lot and parked her bike next to it nodding as she confirmed that her suspicions were correct. Kara had gone to her favorite bar.

Leaving her helmet hanging on the Ducati’s handlebars, she unzipped her jacket and headed for the bar, ducking inside with a brief nod to the bouncer. It wasn’t hard to find Kara. She was sitting alone at the bar with three shot glasses, already empty, sitting in front of her. She tapped the counter and the bartender poured her another, which she knocked back too. Alex sighed and shook her head. Kara obviously wanted to get drunk alone so she respected her wishes and sat at a table near the back of the room where she could make sure her girlfriend was safe but also give her space.

An hour went by and then another. Alex was sipping on a beer and nibbling on some nachos. Somehow, she’d managed to skip dinner and she reckoned that Kara had too. The singer was still sitting on her stool, talking quietly with the bartender, who she obviously knew, and Alex was grateful when the woman shook her head and passed Kara a big glass of water instead of giving her another shot.

The blonde scowled but shrugged and drank the glass down before tapping the bar for another drink. She knocked that back and then slid down off the seat, staggering a little as she headed for the bathroom. The bodyguard waited for her to come back, eyes alert as she watched the bar for danger and when Kara returned, she breathed out a sigh of relief. Until her girlfriend was approached by a guy who was obviously interested in her.

“Fuck,” Alex said softly as she watched the guy drape his arm over Kara’s shoulders, making her scowl again. She shrugged him off, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer, even when she shoved him off her. The bodyguard had enough, and she got up, going to the guy and grabbing him in a sleeper hold. “The lady said to leave her alone,” she growled as she squeezed his throat.

“Alex!” Kara exclaimed angrily. “What the hell are you doing here?! I don’t want you here! Leave me the FUCK alone!”

Alex blinked and savagely shoved down the intense hurt. “My job,” the bodyguard replied as she felt the guy trying to tap out on her forearm. She let him go and he slumped onto his knees, coughing hard before slinking away with a side-eyed look at the brunette. Alex felt the fight leave her at the angry look on her girlfriend’s face and she nodded, slowly taking a step closer to her. “I promised you I’d never stop protecting you,” she said simply. Then she turned and left the bar, wiping at the hot tears that spilled down her cheeks. She leaned back against the brick wall outside, catching her breath, and zipped up her jacket against the chilliness in the air.

Back inside, Kara felt like an utter asshole. She buried her face in her hands and shook her head ruefully. “What the hell am I doing?” she muttered. She settled her tab, got up and slightly unsteadily, headed outside. She saw Alex leaning against the wall and went to her, standing beside her shoulder to shoulder.

The bodyguard glanced at her but didn’t say anything.

“Tanner was the one thing in my life that I knew I could count on,” Kara said quietly. “He was so in tune with my emotions that he always knew when I needed affection or even when I just needed to outride my problems. He was as fast as the wind and a gentle giant.” She smiled a little. “Riding him made me feel like I was a superhero who could fly, and when I retired him, I promised him I’d take care of him the way he’d always taken care of me. When I saw what that Motherfucker wrote on the stable door, I went crazy and blamed our relationship.”

Alex nodded and nudged the blonde with her shoulder. “That sucked in there,” she said simply.

Kara reached up to rub at the crinkle between her brows. “Yeah, it did. I’m an asshole, Alex, and I’m sorry. Please forgive me?”

The bodyguard chuckled softly. “In fairness, Honey, you’re about as far from an asshole as it gets. You’re in pain and it’s ok.”

“No, it’s not ok,” the blonde replied, shaking her head. “When you love someone, you shouldn’t hurt them like that.”

Alex blinked... then blinked again and the singer looked down, blushing a little. “Guess the cat’s out of the bag,” she said softly. She took Alex’s hand, bringing it to her lips to kiss its knuckles. “I’m in love with you.”

“Hoooooohhhh,” the bodyguard replied, totally stunned. “I… uh…”

“You don’t have to,” Kara said with a smile. “I get it if you’re not there yet…”

“But… but I am,” Alex interrupted suddenly. She squeezed Kara’s hand and a beaming smile lit her face. “I’m sooo there. I think I’ve been there since that moment in the adult store in Atlanta when you told me to get the stick out of my ass. You were so beautiful yelling at me that I couldn’t help falling in love with you.”

“Wow,” the singer replied with a little laugh. “That’s…”

But Alex cupped her cheeks between her hands and kissed her until they were both breathless. Then she grinned happily. “I love you so much.”

“Alex,” Kara said as she held up her keys. “Please take me home.”

“You got it,” the bodyguard replied. They walked hand-in-hand back to the Jeep and got inside. Then Alex pulled out her cell and dialed the estate. “Jake, hey, it’s Alex. I have Mac. Can you have someone come get my Ducati please? I’m driving her home in her truck. Cool. Thanks.” She gave him the address of the parking lot and arranged a spot to pass off her keys. When she hung up though, Kara was looking at her with such an expression of lust that it made Alex swallow reflexively.

“How the HELL did I not know you have that motorcycle,” the singer asked. “Your hotness factor, while already through the roof, has just doubled.”

“Uhhh…”

Kara’s hand landed on Alex’s upper thigh and caressed it teasingly. “God, what I want to do to you on that back of that thing.”

The bodyguard grinned and started the car. “Tell me more…”

Xx

“OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD.” Kara groaned as Alex moved off her and rolled onto her back, laughing softly as she pulled up the bedsheet and draped it over them.

“In a good way, I hope.”

The blonde took a moment to catch her breath and then looked at her girlfriend with wonder on her face. “Are you superb at everything you do? Because that was fucking superb.”

“Superb, huh?” the bodyguard grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called THAT before.” Then she kissed Kara softly. “Maybe you’re still drunk?”

“No,” the singer disagreed. “Don’t sell yourself short, Darlin’. Alcohol didn’t give me four orgasms.”

“Heh,” Alex grinned smugly. “I guess not.” She lay on her side and propped herself up on her elbow to run her fingers through Kara’s damp hair. “YOU are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” she murmured. “And I am the luckiest woman in the world.” Kara turned into Alex’s arms and pressed tightly against her. The bodyguard held her close and kissed her head as she felt Kara tremble and then her body shook with sobs as what had happened earlier in the night came crashing down on her again. “I’ve got you,” Alex said softly. “I love you.”

Xx

“Yeah,” Kara said softly. “Make it three by two in white marble please. Engraving in gold.”

“And what would you like it to say, Ma’am?”

“Tanner. T-A-N-N-E-R. Nineteen-ninety-one to two-thousand-twenty. And underneath that, please put ‘Running with the wind over the Rainbow Bridge’.”

“Yes, Ma’am. It’ll take about ten days all in all and the cost will be six thousand dollars in total. That includes transporting his remains, cremation, the urn and the stone. We’ll return a portion of his cremains in the urn.”

“Thanks,” Kara’s voice broke and she cleared her throat. “I think I’ll just bury the urn in a spot under one of the trees in his paddock. We can put the stone there.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Of course. You just let us know when and where.”

“I’m going to be away next week, but I’ll be back the week after. I’ll call you then. Thank you, Sir.”

“My honor, Ma’am. My staff will be out to your ranch in a few hours. Have a blessed day.”

Kara hung up and dropped her iPhone on her desk, rubbing at her temples as her head pounded. She was hung over, even though Alex had made her drink a lot of water before they’d finally gotten some sleep curled up in the bodyguard’s bed.

Now Kara was alone while Alex was out doing bodyguard stuff. She knew her girlfriend had a meeting with her tour manager to discuss the venues for the final two dates. Then she suddenly though of something and picked up her phone again. She hit a contact and it rang for a moment or two before it was picked up.

“Hey, Sweetie.”

“Hi, Mama,” Kara sniffled a little.

“Are you crying? What’s wrong, Baby?”

“Mama, it’s Tanner…”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the road…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, Guys. Really hope you enjoyed!

It was coming to the end of Kara’s week off and she was packing her stuff for the next week on the road when Alex stuck her head in the door. “Your Mom’s here,” she said with a smile. “Now I know where you get your looks.”

Kara chuckled. “Yeah, people always say we look alike.” She followed her lover out of the room, taking her hand as they walked down the corridor.

“Um, does your Mom know that you and I are together?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, I told her all about you... plus she saw the stuff online. It’s all cool.”

Maggie McKenzie, tall and blonde like her daughter, was slipping out of her jacket when she saw Kara coming toward her, holding the hand of a gorgeous brunette with a nervous smile.

“Hi, Mama,” the singer said with a grin as she gently let Alex’s hand go and hugged her mother hard. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” Maggie replied. “And this is Alex, I presume?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the bodyguard replied holding out her hand. “Alex Danvers. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You’re not a Tennessee girl,” Maggie stated as she shook Alex’s hand warmly. Then she grinned teasingly. “Guess we can’t all be perfect. Oh hell, come here and give me a hug.” She pulled the bodyguard to her and squeezed her hard.

“Mama, don’t break her,” Kara laughed. “And no, she’s a California girl.”

“Midvale, Ma’am,” Alex added as they drew apart. “Few hours north of National City.”

Maggie nodded and then turned to her daughter. “How are you doing, Sweetheart?”

“It’s been rough,” the singer replied. “I just got off the phone with the company organizing the cremation and stuff.”

Alex wrapped her arm around Kara’s waist and kissed her temple. “I’m sorry. I need to get back to a meeting. I’ll let you two have some alone time. See you later, Honey.”

“Later,” Kara replied with a smile and then linked her arm through her mother’s. “Let’s get some coffee.”

They were on the way to the kitchen when John McLeesh, the security manager stopped them. “Mac, I’m sorry to interrupt but the guys from the crematorium are here to pick up Tanner’s remains, and they want to talk to you.”

“Oh… that was quick. I thought they meant later this afternoon. Sorry, Mama, go on in and I’ll be right back.”

Maggie continued on into the kitchen as Kara went with McLeesh toward the rear patio door of the house. There was a plain white van sitting out on the driveway and they headed for it. “Huh,” Kara said. “That doesn’t look big enough for Tanner…” she began but stopped suddenly as she felt something being pushed into her ribs. “That’s because it’s not for him, Bitch,” he hissed. “It’s for you.” He shoved the gun harder into her and she gasped with pain. “Keep moving and stay quiet.”

It took a moment or two for what was going on to sink in, but Kara immediately knew that under no circumstances could she end up in that van. If she did, Alex and the police would most likely never find her and her body would never be recovered.

“Take it easy, John,” she said softly. “Let’s talk about this, ok?”

“Nothing to talk about,” he replied coldly. “I gave you every opportunity to end things with her, but you made your choice.”

“You killed Tanner,” Kara said, frowning. “But you couldn’t have been in Hawaii.”

“No, but that was easy to arrange. I hired a guy with a telephoto lens and an ultra-high definition, high-altitude drone to get the pictures and then put them on the windows.”

“Ok. Look, I get it,” the blonde said gently trying to remember what Alex had told her of her profile of this guy. Obsessive narcissist. “You have feelings for me, but I was so blind, I didn’t see it and I’ve obviously hurt you.” The stalker swallowed but didn’t say anything as he urged her on toward the van. “What can I do to make this better between us, John? For us?”

“It’s too late,” the man spat, knocking his knuckles against his head. “You cheated on me. I’ve seen you and that whore together… I’ve seen her fucking you… I know you’re not going to give her up.”

Kara was so angry she was shaking but he thought it was out of fear and just laughed. “Who’s the big fucking star now?” he asked. “And where’s that bitch bodyguard when you need her?”

He raised his gun and shoved Kara hard toward the open door of the van almost causing her to fall but the singer gasped with relief when a face she knew as well as her own appeared from behind the vehicle, gun raised. “I’m right here,” Alex growled. “Let her go, McLeesh.”

“Wha…” The man froze with shock and then grabbed Kara, pulling her back against his chest by her neck and holding the gun to her side. “Fuck you, Danvers. She’s mine now.” Then a smug grin rose to his face as he moved his hand from her throat to her breast and squeezed. The singer scowled but she didn’t move.

“Poor poor choice, Dude,” the bodyguard said, tutting sarcastically.

“You can’t shoot me without risking hitting her,” the man said. He was agitated and moving from foot to foot anxiously.

“Oh, I have no intention of shooting you,” Alex replied with a shrug, but she didn’t lower her gun either. Instead, she caught Kara’s eyes and winked at her. “Leg sweep,” she said clearly.

With a grim smile, and as McLeesh’s face clouded with confusion, Kara dropped and spun, shooting her leg out and taking his legs out from under him, knocking him onto his ass and his gun out of his hand. Alex was immediately on him, one knee on his chest and pointing her gun right at his head but he stupidly tried to buck her off, so Kara punched him in the face, knocking him clean out for Alex to restrain him with zip ties she pulled from her back pocket. The singer winced as she shook out her hand. “Stay down, Motherfucker.” She waited for Alex to straighten and then hugged her hard feeling the pressure returned in kind. “Shit, Alex, how did you know?”

The bodyguard was shaking now that it was over, and she let out a breath, pressing her hand to her chest as she bent at the waist and tried not to throw up. When she’d suddenly figured it out and had seen Kara with McLeesh from the office window, she’d tamped down her terror with years of training and circled around the front of the house to hide behind the van while he was distracted by Kara trying to reason with him. “Shit,” she breathed. “He was right under my goddamn nose all this time. He wasn’t having the flowers and shit delivered. He was leaving them for us to find. That’s why we couldn’t track him. FUCK!”

“Hey,” Kara rubbed her back sympathetically. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. No one copped it. But, seriously, how DID you figure it out?”

Alex chuckled as she straightened and breathed in and out. “You’re not going to believe this. I was trying out these new wireless internet cameras I bought online. They’re these little tiny things that you just stick to any surface and it records right to the cloud when activated by motion of any kind. I put one outside your bedroom door, a couple in the main living spaces and one on the outside of the house pointing toward the front gates and stables but I didn’t tell anyone about them. With everything that’s been going on, I only got around to looking at the footage a few minutes ago. The cameras had caught him creeping around the hallway outside your room in the middle of the night, heading into the stables and coming out about fifteen minutes later.”

“Jesus Christ,” Kara whispered.

“I bet the reason why we couldn’t get any footage on the main camera system was because he was tampering with it. That would jive with what I suspected about his being technologically savvy. But he didn’t know about these new cameras.” Alex pulled her phone out and called Detective McNeill. “McNeill, Danvers, we got him. It was John McLeesh the whole time. I have him in custody after he tried to kidnap Mac. Can you come over right away?” She listened for a moment and then nodded. “Great. I’ll wait here for the uniforms and see you later.”

McLeesh started to come around and he groaned in pain and scowled as he rolled onto his side to glare up at them. “Bitches,” he spat.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kara replied flatly with a scowl of her own. “You would have gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for us meddling kids.”

Alex blinked, and then burst into laughter and McLeesh just sighed and shook his head.

Xx 

It was the final date of Kara’s tour and she was finishing up her set with one of her most popular songs, dancing in circles around the stage and belting out the chorus into her head mic as she played electric guitar. In the wings, Alex watched her lover and her band perform, marveling at how she had the crowd eating out of her hand.

When the song was finished, the lights came up and Kara smiled over at Alex before going off-script and speaking to the audience. “Hold up, Raleigh!” she said. “I have a little somethin’ new for ya!” The audience settled down again and waited as she exchanged her electric guitar for her acoustic and pulled a high stool to the front of the stage. “So…” she said with a big smile. “This is the last date of my tour and I’ve been writing like crazy so I can get back into the studio to bring Y’All a new album.” The audience screamed deafeningly at that and Alex laughed softly. “Weeeeellll, I was wondering if you’d like a sneak peek at one of my new songs.” She cupped her hand around her ear as the crowd screamed again. “Well, would ya?” The screams only got louder, and Kara grinned happily. “I thought Y’All might like that. Let me just get all my bits connected...”

She strummed her guitar to make sure it was still perfectly in tune. Then she connected a microphone to it. “So, the story behind this song… I was in Hawaii on a mini break with my girl and we were having dinner on a patio overlooking the ocean. It was sunset and the ocean looked like it was on fire. But then, I turned and looked at Alex and she was lit by the same setting sun. She looked so beautiful that I couldn’t draw breath and I knew at that moment that I was in love.” She grinned as the audience screamed their approval. “Alex inspired this song and I’m dedicating my first performance of it to her. Darlin’ come on over here.” She held out her hand to her lover but for a long moment, Alex just stood there in shock. Kara chuckled and then winked at her and the brunette’s feet carried her out onto the stage. As she reached the stool, Kara took her hand and turned off her mic. “You ok?” she asked, brushing her lips over Alex’s knuckles. The audience screamed again, and the brunette laughed happily.

“Yeah, I’m great.” Alex sat on the stool and then wrapped her arms around Kara’s waist to pull her against her chest. Kara leaned back comfortably, enjoying the closeness.

The singer grinned and flipped her mic back on as she played the introduction. “Ladies and Gentlemen, this song is called _Aflame_ and this is for Alex Danvers, the love of my life.”

Alex rested her chin on Kara’s shoulder as the singer began to play and soon tears began to well in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks.

Kara’s voice was clear and joyful as she sang.

“I’ve never been in love like this before.  
It hit me like a ray of light,  
When you walked through my door.  
And though it took some time for us to see,  
Being as one is how it’s meant to be.  
It’s like I’m in a constant state of grace,  
Surrounded by the love  
That lights your beautiful face.  
Your touch sets my body aflame.  
Your love sets my heart aflame.

“The look in your eyes it sets my heart aflame,  
My body aches for you when you speak my name,  
The love in your smile shows me this ain’t a game,  
Your touch on my skin, sets my body aflame.

“That look in your eyes it sets my heart aflame,  
I come running to you when you call my name,  
The love in your smile shows me this ain’t a game,  
Your touch on my skin, sets my body aflame.

“I drown in your eyes, every time that we meet  
I’m under the surface trapped  
By the weight of my need.  
My breath stops short,” (Kara paused a beat to gasp)  
“When your hands touches mine.  
That moment forever becomes frozen in time.  
I need your love more than the air that I breathe,  
I dream of a life that you’re sharing with me  
Oooh oohhh Your touch sets my body aflame,  
Your love sets my heart aflame.

“The look in your eyes it sets my heart aflame,  
My body aches for you when you speak my name,  
The love in your smile shows me this ain’t a game,  
Your touch on my skin, sets my body aflame.

“That look in your eyes it sets my heart aflame,  
I come running to you when you call my name,  
The love in your smile…. shows me this ain’t a gaaaaame,  
Your touch on my skin, sets my body aflame.

“Ooohhh ohhhh… aaaaflaaammmme… oohhhhh yeeahhh…. “

“Aaaaaffllaaaaaaammme.”

As the last echoes of Kara’s voice moved through the venue, the crowd got to their feet and screamed as loudly as they could. It was so loud that the sound would have deafened Alex and Kara if they hadn’t been wearing earpieces.

The singer straightened, lifted her guitar strap up over her head and set the instrument on its stand. Then she moved closer to the front of the stage, bringing Alex with her by the hand, and took a series of bows as the screams just went on and on. Then she turned her mic off again and looked at Alex. “I love you,” she said. “Did you like it?”

“Kara,” the brunette replied, wiping her face. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”

“Like I told you, I was inspired.” They shared a gentle kiss and then Kara turned her mic back on. “Goodnight, Folks. Thanks for coming out to see us. Safe home!” She waved at the crowd and then led Alex by the hand back across the stage and into the wings.

For a long time, they stood in each other’s arms, foreheads pressed together tenderly as the stage crew bustled around them. And to each other, they were the only people in the world.

Xx

Kara was leaning against the door jamb of Alex’s room, her arms crossed. “Are you sure about this?” she asked dubiously.

Alex nodded and smiled. “Your Mom had quite the time between the stalker shit and being on tour with us the last week. We all could do with some downtime.”

“But taking her back to Hawaii with us… doesn’t that cramp our style a little? How can I ravish you on every surface of the cabana if she’s there?”

Alex laughed as she finished packing her case and zipped it up. “She’s not staying in the same cabana with us. Eve got her a separate one.” She paused then. “Honey, you do realize that she’s bringing a gentleman friend with her, don’t you?”

“Wait,” Kara held up her hands. “Mama has a boyfriend?”

“Uh, yeah, it’s Harry,” the brunette shrugged. ‘I only found out this morning myself when Eve sent the information about the flights.”

“Well, huh,” Kara laughed. “My mama is seeing my manager. Ooohhhh... I have to call him and give him shit.” She pulled out her phone to dial Harry’s number and wrapped her arms around Alex, kissing her as she waited.

“Kara, hey,” her manager said as he answered. “How ya doin’, Kid?”

The singer just growled into the phone. “If you hurt even one string of that sweet woman’s heart, I will end you. Do you understand?”

Harry swallowed audibly and Alex laughed, clapping her hand over her mouth.

“Yes, Ma’am. I understand.”

Kara hung up on him and then pushed Alex onto the bed to climb into her arms and snuggle with her. “I’m glad you took the job as my new head of security,” she said, dropping little kisses on her lover’s lips. “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d had to go off and be someone else’s bodyguard.”

Alex smiled and snuggled Kara even closer. “I told you,” she replied. “I’ll never stop protecting you.”

“Never?” Kara asked as she slowly began to open the brunette’s shirt.

“Never,” Alex whispered as she gave in to pleasure of her lover’s touch.

The End.


End file.
